Children in desperate need of rest

I thought this post was well worth a read. An excerpt:

My oldest son started high school this fall. At his orientation the counselors took a portion of the program to speak to parents about the greatest challenge they see students face in school. I expected to hear about poor study habits or substance abuse, but to my initial surprise, these were not at the top of the list. Apparently, the greatest challenge presenting itself in the office of the high school guidance counselor is a growing number of kids struggling with anxiety and depression. Can you guess why? A combination of over-scheduling and sleep deprivation, linked to two main contributors: electronics use and extracurricular activities.

I saw this first hand working as a youth pastor for six years. Students (at least suburban students) tend to be overcommitted (not one baseball team, but three). They are over-connected - constantly texting, surfing, and gaming. And they genuinely don't understand how to enjoy leisure. The first time I planned a youth retreat, I left four hours of free time on a Saturday afternoon. As a kid, I would have loved this. But these kids were so bored, and consistently complained this was the worst part of the retreat.

More than anything, they're exhausted, as the blog post suggests. A good reminder for parents:

Christian parents bear the responsibility of teaching our children the value of rest, through our words and through our actions. Children don’t set the calendar in our homes – if they are overscheduled or sleep-deprived, the fault lies with us.